Bangor Buffalo Wild Wings, Hobby Lobby and other businesses aim for August openings

Crews begin groundwork at the future site of Stillwater Crossing, a three-building complex that will house Buffalo Wild Wings, Hobby Lobby and two or three yet-to-be named businesses, along Stillwater Avenue near the Bangor Mall. The businesses are scheduled to open sometime in August, according to the site's developer. Buy Photo

John Clarke Russ | BDN

Stillwater Crossing LLC of South Portland has purchased the lease for a 65,500 square-foot retail space off Stillwater Avenue across from the Bangor Parkade shopping center and near the I-95-South onramp and entrance to the Bangor Mall Cinemas Buy Photo

BANGOR, Maine — Work has begun at the future site of Buffalo Wild Wings, Hobby Lobby and two or three yet-to-be-named businesses along Stillwater Avenue, the site’s developer said Thursday.

Buffalo Wild Wings, a sports-themed restaurant franchise with more than 850 locations nationwide, and Hobby Lobby, which runs a chain of more than 520 craft stores from its Oklahoma headquarters, will be joined by two or three stores that have yet to be determined, according to site developer and Stillwater Crossing principal owner Vincent “Vinny” Maietta.

“There is a substantial interest from more clients than we’ll be able to fit into that third building,” Maitta said. “The interest far exceeds the size of the building.”

While Maietta declined to say which companies were vying for a spot in the remaining 10,000-square-foot building, he did say there were several food, clothing and auto parts retailers interested in the location. He said a decision would be made based on what brought the “right mix” of retail options to the future Stillwater complex.

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The roughly $6 million development will feature three buildings totaling about 72,500 square feet, the largest being a 55,000 square foot home for Hobby Lobby. Maietta expects the construction work to employ 80 to 100 people and the retail stores to create 150 to 200 full- and part-time jobs.

“We are on track, everything is going really well,” Maietta said.

With the winter frost gone, crews are beginning to do the groundwork for the future buildings. Maietta said contractors would be on a “pretty aggressive schedule” to get the businesses open by mid-August. He said they should all open around the same time, to avoid having shopping and construction work overlap.

In another seven to 10 days, crews will start pouring concrete for Buffalo Wild Wings, Maietta said. The plot for Hobby Lobby has been turned over to the company’s contractors. Maietta said deals should be worked out over the next 30 days with two or three other businesses to fill out the complex.